In the book, Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser studies the effect that fast food has had on our nation as well as the world. He begins by recounting the birth of fast food right here in America. Schlosser comments on how fast food chains have spread to every corner of our country and are currently popping up all over the world. Schlosser goes on and gives his own point of view as to what goes on in restaurants and the affects they are having on the employees and the people who support them. Before I read this book I underestimated how big of an impact that fast food restaurants have on society. The rest of this report will show just how much of an impact that fast food chains are in our lives. .
To see where the concept of fast food come from we need to look at how and in what time period they started. During the late 1940's and early 1950's our nations history there was a new mindset know as the American Dream. The text book's definition of the American Dream is, " achieving the American Dream means having a secure job, owning a home, and getting a good education for their children. To others, it is the promise that anyone may rise from poverty to wealth if he or she works hard enough." (Kendall 194) Richard and Maurice McDonald, achieved the American Dream by opening up their own drive in restaurant. Now there are McDonald's drive-thru restaurants on every major road in America. Having restaurant food prepared fast and served fast has had an enormous impression on our nation. Even though Richard and Maurice have achieved the American dream, fast food-chains are not beneficial to everyone in the nation. .
Fast-food chains have been shooting up all over the place. Most of the fast-food chains that are now being built over seas. The opinions about McDonald's and other fast food chains showing up in different countries has varied. The book, Fast Food Nation, attempts to make it seem that the McDonald's are welcome everywhere by telling stories about long waits on the opening day in Kuwait and other foreign countries.